Mets rally from five runs down to snap skid and beat Rockies

DENVER — Mets GM Sandy Alderson signaled the 2017 season as a writeoff on Monday. The team had sold off Lucas Duda and Addison Reed, the only veterans that they could, and brought up top prospect Amed Rosario to start getting major league experience in anticipation of the 2018 season.

But the Mets apparently still have some fight left in them.

On Wednesday night at Coors Field, they rallied from five runs down with a six-run sixth inning, capped by Curtis Granderson’s first home run in nearly a month, to beat the Rockies 10-5.

The Mets (49-56) snapped a three-game losing streak and, with the rubber game against the Rockies (61-47) Thursday afternoon, have a chance to finish this season-high tying 10-game road trip at 5-5.

It was the second largest deficit the Mets have overcome this season, one behind their May 5 win over the Marlins, and their 22nd come-from-behind win of the year.

After Chris Flexen put them in a five-run hole after just three innings, the Mets bullpen buckled down to pitch six scoreless innings.

Following a 13-minute delay after home plate umpire Kerwin Danley was hit in the hand by a pitch and knocked out of the game, the Mets began their rally from five-runs down.

Granderson gave the Mets their first lead of the night on his 14th home run of the season, a three-run shot to right field that broke open a 5-5 tie. It was his first home run since July 3 and it capped a furious comeback.

Yoenis Cespedes drove in the first Mets run on a ground out in the fourth and the tying run on a double in the sixth.

Jay Bruce.

(Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Jay Bruce hit his 29th homer of the season in the fourth, while Rosario picked up his first major league extra-base hit and RBI on a chopper up the third base line that a fan bent over the fence and picked up before Rockies’ left fielder Gerardo Parra could field it. The rookie was awarded third base by the crew, which was without a third base umpire. Rosario scored on Travis d’Arnaud’s ground out to cut the Rockies’ lead to one run. Asdrubal Cabrera singled to lead off the sixth and scored on Cespedes’ double.

That marked 10 unanswered runs that the Mets fought back with.

The second time through the lineup, the Rockies seemed to be picking up on Flexen’s offspeed pitches.

After Amed Rosario’s nice diving grab of Charlie Blackmon’s line drive to start the inning, the pitcher, in just his second career start, gave up six straight hits, including a two-run home run to Carlos Gonzalez.

Yoenis Cespedes threw out Gerardo Parra at the plate on Trevor Story’s ground ball single, which got past Rosario, to limit the damage. Rosario made a nice play to throw out catcher Ryan Hanigan to get out of the inning.

The damage had been done, however. Flexen allowed five runs on eight hits and a walk overall. He struck out two. The team announced he left the game with a blister on his right index finger.

In two starts, Flexen has allowed eight earned runs on 13 hits in just six innings of work. The 23-year old was thrown into the big leagues when the Mets placed Zack Wheeler on the disabled list with a stress reaction on his right humerus bone.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Amed Rosario’s heads up, hard running out of the box on his high chopper over Rockies’ third baseman Nolan Arenado. A fan reached over the fence and grabbed the rolling ball at the wall before Rockies left fielder Gerardo Parra could get over there. It scored a run and seemed to spark a rally.

Amed Rosario sparked a Mets rally.

(Jack Dempsey/AP)

TURNING POINT

Curtis Granderson hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning to give the Mets’ their first lead of the night, capping a six-run inning and chasing Rockies righthander Tyler Chatwood.

STAR OF THE GAME

Asdrubal Cabrera went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.

STAT OF THE DAY

5. The five-run deficit was the second largest the Mets have overcome this season, one shy of the season-high.

UNSUNG HERO

The bullpen. Chasen Bradford, Fernando Salas, Paul Sewald and AJ Ramos combined to pitch six scoreless innings and give the Mets offense a chance to rally.

MIA

Chris Flexen lasted just three innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits. The team announced he left with a blister on his right index finger.